At first glance, Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre and Cole “Inky” Sarar have very little in common. Guante is a fiery underground rap star and two-time National Poetry Slam champion who writes about radical politics and working-class struggle; Inky is an unabashed nerd who writes with equal verve about nursery rhymes and science.

But as writers and performance artists, Guante and Inky share a commitment to dismantling stereotypes and social norms, whether through the lens of the grocery store cartpusher asserting his very existence or the “handsome prince” dreaming of being something more than a stock character. Both are interested in the places where everyday life, magic and social justice overlap, a world where janitors, fairies, farmers, zombies, soldiers, talking roaches and countless more come to life. Finally, both Guante and Inky refuse to settle for simple platitudes and clichés, instead reaching deeper, seeking to create art that is as transformative as it is entertaining. As Guante says: “we don’t want your smiles; we want to dig into the wet, grey wilderness behind them.”